A large delegation from Hebei Province, led by Hebei Governor Niu Maosheng, visited Tsinghua April 8 to discuss cooperative projects between the province and the University.

A symposium was held that morning in the Guest Hall of the Main Building for the 40-member group, which included two deputy governors, 11 mayors, and other provincial officials.

Tsinghua President Wang Dazhong welcomed the guests, saying he hoped the collaboration with Hebei Province would continue to develop. He Jiankun, Tsinghua vice president, chaired the meeting.

He Jiankun and Governor Niu spoke about the respective growth of the University and Hebei. Yang Zhenbin, deputy secretary of the Party Committee of Tsinghua University, outlined the current alliance between the two partners.

During the symposium, Yang and Sun Jianqun, secretary of the Party Committee of the city of Langfang in Hebei, signed a draft agreement of cooperation between Tsinghua University and the Langfang municipal government.

The successful connection between Tsinghua and Hebei started in 1988. In the autumn of that year, Yue Qifeng, who was then governor of the province, brought a delegation to Tsinghua to discuss cooperation possibilities between the two sides. A plan was drawn up and signed by the Hebei delegates and then president of Tsinghua Zhang Xiaowen.

To date, various departments of Tsinghua have signed cooperation agreements with cities and districts such as Qing Huangdao, Baoding, Handan, Tangshan, Shi Jiazhuang, Langfang and Chengde.

Statistics show that technology projects between the two sides have been especially popular and productive over the years. Some 401 contracts totaling 73.32 million yuan have been signed.

The "Hebei-Tsinghua Science and Technology Study Cooperation Fund," set up in March 1996, has so far supported 75 projects with total value of 33.1 million yuan.

In addition, Tsinghua has also worked with Hebei to set up educational programs for distance education, lifelong education, and postgraduate studies. Engineering degrees have been granted to 208 people, and another 635 Hebei people have benefited from the courses.

(4/19/2002)